7/28/2015

Great deals Tuesday-Thursday on drinks and food. There's always a beer of the month. For about $40 you can join the mug club. Also on the weekends since I went last month there's drink specials.

I've been going here for about 4 years, well...since they opened. I would always order the el fuego with turkey patty instead of beef but they stopped making it. Now I order the powerhouse about once a month which is great because it's freshly made, not a frozen veggie patty. I HEART the truffle fries, I like the smell.

The milkshakes are beyond yum and usually topped with whip cream and recess pieces.They allow you to mix them too. I sometimes mix Nutella and peanutbutter.

The fried pickles are the best I've had I. Chicago!

• 

  Powerhouse veggie

  Powerhouse veggie
• 

  Menus

  Menus

7/12/2015

Went for Sunday lunch.  Parking is street or valet.  If you're familiar with Chicago parking, valet is worth it.  Only $5 valet during Sunday lunch.  They have indoor and outdoor seating.  Great atmosphere.  For this visit we sat outside.

We had the fried pickle which was pleasantly long and perfectly crispy.  Other places, they were small and round.  Also, had the corn elote which were delicious.  For our entree, we had lamb burgers which were cooked perfectly to our preference - medium, and flavorful.  We had sweet potatoes as a side which were yummy.  Both appetizers and entree were generous portion.  I would definitely come back again.

7/2/2015

Everyone needs a good burger....

The burger choices are great. My fav is the shrimp burger - ask them to make it spicier of you like your food with a little more zest. Also all the choices are very unique or as plain as you want them to be.

But today I had the monthly special and it was delish. The lamb meatball burger...highly recommenced! They really make the meat the way you like it....add some sweet potatoes fries and for all the pickles lover have the fried pickles! It's a must. That is how I got hook to this place in the first place. I am not a beer lover...but, if you are - the selection is there.

I don't give this place five stars only for the food but also for the fun, swagy team that works there. You guys do it right. Keep having fun at work!

If you going to have a burger get one that will satisfy your cravings.....be adventurist and try those fried pickles as well!

8/7/2015

Sweet potato tots are not sweet potato tater tots!! I was fooled! It's literally chunks of sweet potato deep fried. SO what is the huge difference? Well one point is that tater tots are shredded and tater tots have something secret added. This, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment to my food adventure. I walked so far for this! It was crispy but it wasn't a tater tot!

• 

  Sweet potato tots not "tater" tots

  Sweet potato tots not "tater" tots

5/8/2015

The BEST fried pickles I've ever had!  YUM

The burgers were pretty damn good as well.  Fries were decent.  Service was on par.

Indoor and outdoor seating.

Their fire sauce was seriously hot!  I loved it.

We will definitely be back for more grub and soon!

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  Firehouse

  Firehouse
• 

  Hot & smokey

  Hot & smokey
• 

  Fried pickles...the best I've ever had!

  Fried pickles...the best I've ever had!

7/3/2015

This is a true Chicago gem! Great Burgers (high quality meat, big portions), large rotating beer selection, unique sides. This place starts with a great burger then adds a topper, which is like a whole other sandwich- so think a burger with a pulled pork sandwich built in! Mine had sausages and bacon, so yum. Also- the tempura battered green beans are a must have! If you leave hungry YOU did something wrong.
The staff is courteous and attentive, the decor is casual and utilitarian. Simple. They focus on the food and dont need flash.

8/7/2015

I'm ready to declare this my favorite rock burger bar in Chicago. Maybe it's not as metal as Kuma or as hardcore as Lockdown, but I think Burger Bar has the best lean-to-fat ratio in its burgers, gluten-free buns for my friends, and appropriate sizing and excellent toppings for burgers that are just right. The wings here are also great and only $5 for 10 wings(!) on Tuesdays along with $3 Goose Island drafts. The music is also less loud at lunch at least and the restaurant is very spacious. Staff was also very friendly and knowledgeable.

• 

  Sassy wings with spicy chili-ginger glaze and sriracha aioli (so good)

  Sassy wings with spicy chili-ginger glaze and sriracha aioli (so good)

2/23/2015

The burgers are ok. Build your own is your best bet. I had the hot and smokey...it wasn't hot, nor smokey and instead of pulled pork I'm pretty sure it was just stringy pot roast on top. At $14-16 per burger Id say it's overpriced.

The Mac and cheese is great.

The truffle fries are pretty terrible. They don't have much of a truffle taste and the fries are really oily so it's quite off putting. I had two and gave up.

They seem to have great beers and the staff is very friendly so it's a shame the food was lacking.

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  Hot and smokey burger with truffle fries $16

  Hot and smokey burger with truffle fries $16
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  Build your own burger with jalapeños, Swiss and onions.

  Build your own burger with jalapeños, Swiss and onions.

7/26/2015

This place holds a special part of my heart now. Fried pickles are delicious, the dipping sauce is spot on. They have poutine and it just gets better with a fried egg. My boyfriend got the shrimp burger and he said it was amazing! I got the High Hog with has bbq pulled pork, thick cut bacon, smoked ham and apple-cabbage slaw...best burger I've had in a while. Paired with a spicy Bloody Mary and you're good to go! I will be returning.

• 

  High Hog Burger is a winner.

  High Hog Burger is a winner.
• 

  Pulled Pork Poutine with Fried Egg!!

  Pulled Pork Poutine with Fried Egg!!

5/30/2015

Food - 4 star. Beer list - 3 star. Service - 2 star.

I am torn. The burgers were good but the service was less than adequate and given the chilly spring we've been having, nearly froze until we moved seats as the front door opens right into the bar dining area. When that Chicago wind blows in, if you're sitting in the front room, watch out.

We put our name on the wait list and headed to the bar. Had a hard time flagging down a bartender as she seemed very interested in chatting with a group of 3 girls at the far end of the bar. Given I was at the other end and she was the only one back there, good luck to me. Even the drink orders seemed to stack up from the waitstaff. I would come to find out later this to be the case as once we were seated, beers were very hard to come by.

Once we did sit down we were near the aforementioned front door.

Pro tip - do NOT sit near the front door. I would think you'd have the same issue in the summer instead of freezing, you'd be sweating. Either way, no fun to eat that way.

Once we moved our sever seemed overwhelmed. We got menus and then off she went. Not to return for some time. Once we placed our order, our food came out but no condiments, napkins or silverware.

Once we tracked down a manager, we got what we needed but we wanted another beer. Good luck to us. By the time it came, we were done with our food. So we downed the beers and split as the crowd was getting "Bro-ish" and drunk, bumping into our table, etc. Not cool bro, not cool.

If you were in the area say shopping I'd say go for lunch or mid afternoon as you might have a better experience.

5/7/2015

Delicious is what I have to say about Burger Bar. Not sure if it's because I was starved upon arrival but boy did it smell GOOD upon entry...

My dining companion and I were quickly seated by the hostess in the dining room area and were blown away by the selection of burgers on their menu. I was tempted to go hog wild and get one of their more crazy burgers but my knowledge that my eyes are generally larger than my stomach led me to end up splitting the Bar Cheese Burger with Truffle Fries and the Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon with my companion.

It ended up being PLENTY of food and boy was it great. Their mac was full of fresh, crispy bacon - no fake bacon bits to be found at Burger Bar! The burger was also perfectly cooked on a fresh bun and served with an ample amount of horseradish cheddar spread on top. I also have to say that the Truffle Fries are worth the $1 up charge, there are a ton of them and they're a pile of hot, fresh cut deliciousness.

Now, you're probably asking yourself why this rave review doesn't have more than three stars. Here's my answer... the service. Our waiter wasn't overtly rude but seemed consistently in a hurry to move on from our table. Each time we were ready to order, whether it be our appetizer, our beers, or our meal, he rushed us along and could not get away from our table fast enough. Normally I am fairly easy to please when it comes to servers but something about him really rubbed me the wrong way.

I hope to be back to Burger Bar again, experience better service, and update this review because boy is the food good!

7/2/2015

I passed this spot every week while en route to my kickball games, and I finally had a chance to eat there. It was pretty quiet when my friend and I visited - the staff was very nice and we were seated promptly. We ordered the fried beans - dilly beans that were deep fried were beyond delicious! I've always had a thing for dilly beans since one of closest friends had a dad that canned these every year. So it was reminiscent of my past and kicked up 100 notches...I don't know what kind of batter they used but I highly recommend these. I got a BYO burger, medium rare, with tomato, grilled onion, lettuce. Yes, not particularly interesting but it was executed wonderfully. Perhaps a bit bloody but flavorful and really big. I scarfed it down with my sweet potato fries. I really tried to keep room in my stomach for the milkshake as dessert, but I just couldn't fit anymore my stomach for fear that it would push me along several months with my already bulging food baby from the evening. Definitely will be back.

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  BYO burger...seriously delicious burger and outstanding sweet potato fries

  BYO burger...seriously delicious burger and outstanding sweet potato fries

12/19/2014

Burger Bar offers a pretty solid burger at fairly outrageous prices. There are a lot of burger choices in the Lincoln Park area, and we just so happened to choose Burger Bar for lunch due solely to proximity.

Though there's no private lot, Burger Bar does have adjacent parking for a fiver, which is convenient since street parking isn't plentiful around those parts. Per the name, Burger Bar double as a bar with a solid beer listing, and the experience likely would have been better as a boozy lunch or evening dinner. Alas, it was just the burger for us.

Specialty burgers are in the $12 - $17 range, and come with a side (i.e., fries) whether you want them or not. Yeah, it's Lincoln Park rents at Kuma's Corner prices. I went with the first on the menu, the Firehouse burger, and liked everything about it.

The patty, in silo, is delicious and chipotle spiced. The chorizo topping reminded me of the many chili-cheese burgers I used to get in Texas, and I likely would've eaten the chorizo on its own if you gave me some Valentina, queso, and a fork. Add some pepper jack (my favorite burger cheese), and I enjoyed myself. I was expecting a Kuma's like whopper of a burger, but it wasn't overtly big and just a little over-indulgent for lunch.

My wife went with the chicken burger (she's not the beef type). Though we didn't ask, it also wasn't proffered that the specialty burgers could be made chicken-style. As it was, the chicken burger is simple, ground chicken with arugula, tomato, and a pesto aioli. Like the burger, this also comes standard with side.

The fries were pretty standard, kind of Five Guys-esque sans cajun seasoning. Sweet potato fries were as you'd expect. I'd have liked some regular tots, but they only have sweet potato tots on the menu.

• 

  Firehouse Burger

  Firehouse Burger

4/8/2015

Went here with the little monsters and that dude I married. It was actually the oldest little monster that picked this place out since she's a cheeseburger fiend, and we happily obliged because -YAY! Craft beer!

I preferred the regular fries over the truffle fries, but both were good, really. All of the food was good.

We started off with Bacon Lollipops because the man's eyes about popped out of his head when he saw them on the menu. Bacon wrapped around asian spiced pork belly with a cider glaze and popped on a stick. It's a meaty siren song. 3 come to an order, so you may want to order more than one if your friends plan on sharing with you (suckers, who shares bacon?)

I had the firehouse with a fried egg on top. I love that you can add extra stuff to their other burgers, and that it's not just limited to the Build-Your-Own. I love spicy, and eggs on burgers are wonderful things, so I was very happy with my burger. Excellently cooked and it tasted great.  The firehouse is a chipotle spiced burger with charred jalapeno and scallion relish, pepperjack, and guajilli aioli. I did not get it diablo style as I wasn't sure how spicy it would be, but next time I defintely would. I like a lot of heat though, so if you just like medium spiciness you'll be good.

The man had the big shoulder blues, it's a peppercorn burger with blue cheese, sweet onion bacon jam, and port wine glaze. He also loved it. It reheated really well too, which is NOT always the case with burgers.

The little people had a pb&j and 2 mini cheeseburgers. The pb&j comes on thick white bread with a ton of peanut butter and jelly - I took a bite of it. I didn't even feel bad taking a bite of a pb&j while drinking a beer in public.

The little monster that chose the place loved her cheeseburgers and her fries. When the monsters are happy, we can enjoy our craft beer in peace, and the world is a better place.

Next time we go I want to try the wings. Definitely plan on going back in the future!

Also, I LOVE the craft beer wallpaper they have up. Wish I took a picture. Next time!

6/28/2015

We have been here a couple of times. This place has amazing burgers. I love that there is never a long wait. We got the buffalo burger. Expect to pay approximately $13-16 for a burger. Beer are anywhere from $5-9. It's a little pricey but worth it in my opinion.

• 

  Nice patio

  Nice patio
• 

  Chicken wings $9 fries $4

  Chicken wings $9 fries $4
• 

  Bison burger with goat cheese

  Bison burger with goat cheese
• See all photos from Andrea M. for Burger Bar Chicago

8/3/2015

Shrimp burger is a work of art. Full of flavor and cooked to perfection. The truffle fries are not overwhelming, there's a good balance with everything. Service can be hit or miss but honestly, put one of those burgers in front of me and I am not going to a give a f*** that the waitress forgot to bring me extra napkins. Solid burger place. Pricey, but you get what you pay for.

6/21/2015

One of the worst Burgers I have had. Increasingly disappointing as it was from a Burger specialist restaurant. When I ordered my Burger from the Bartender, I made it very clear the burger had to be a perfect medium. He said he understood. When the burger came out and I took my first bite, It was the most well done burger I have probably ever had. Because I was starving due to a busy traveling day, I deciding to eat that cardboard vs sending it back. That was a mistake. It was just so unenjoyable. I told the the bartender however and he totally did not give a shit. His response was one of those, "ok, uh huh, uh huh, ok". All while having that clueless I don't give a fuk look on his face.

I believe in giving places one more chance, as I will do this supposed Burger specialist.

Oh, the beers were good however.

6/26/2015

I can say I had an ok time here.

The place was nicely decorated, and the service was good, but I didn't find much on the beer menu I liked. I think they had six beers on from Moody Tongue? Was there a tap takeover I wasn't aware of?

My wife and I ordered their macaroni and cheese, but it was very soupy and without much flavor.

I ordered my burger med-rare. It came out med-well, but the flavors were good. It was the Firehouse with El Diablo on the side, and I'm glad for that because it was HOT, which I did enjoy.

My wife's burger, the Hey Shortay, was rare as she asked, but she didn't care for it at all. There wasn't a lot of flavor, and it completely fell apart. Maybe they need a heartier bun for all the extra juice from the short ribs?

The important question... Would I go back? Yes if I'm in the neighborhood, but I'll leave the mac and short ribs for someone else.

7/26/2015

Best burger I've had in Chicago so far!! Get the one with buffalo meat  beers are good too

6/3/2014 Updated review

Impress your friends with Burger Bar.

I returned for lunch on Memorial Day after a long, sunny day at the beach with a group of 7 friends. We were seated immediately and chose to soak in more sun on their outdoor patio. I like, I like.

While we were taking our sweet time to order because we were waiting on another friend to arrive, our server went over the highlights. He was kinda awkward and a little condescending when someone asked how the menu is laid out and about making the burger at a certain temperature. That's the ish I don't like. Maybe he was just dehydrated?

Everyone ordered a couple cold ones and a different funky menu item. I stuck with my veg burger, hubby had gyro, friends had forgettaboutit, wings, pulled pork mac, turkey burger and bison burger. Everyone loved it. I was proud of my restaurant-picking skillz. We enjoyed our time and didn't feel rushed even though the server kept being slightly weird.

He did seperate our checks without giving us a hard time so that was a plus for a large group and we didn't get charged automatic gratuity or fees. Our waters were refilled 24/7 without being asked which was also essential on this mega hot day.

Thanks for making me look slightly cool in front of my friends, BB!

• 

  Fried pickles

  Fried pickles
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  Gyro burger

  Gyro burger
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  Wings

  Wings
• See all photos from Angie K. for Burger Bar Chicago

12/9/2014

Had a groupon for two so I stopped in with a friend. I was super excited to have a good burger because I've been craving. The deal gave us two beers, an app, and two burgers. The beer list is pretty awesome, so I was excited to try a crafty stout and it was obsidian and it was good.

The fried pickles are obscenely good as well. Put a 5 calorie tasty snack into an even tastier fried shell, add some thousand island dressing or whatever the dip was, and yum- you've got yourself an appetizer people will fight over.

For my burger I chose the Wild Bill because I like bison meat and it makes me feel like I went with a healthier option even though I was in for an unhealthy meal overall. I also chose the sweet potato fries for the same reason and I've heard good things about them from my fellow yelpers.

The burger had goat cheese, arugula, and a tomato chutney on it. The tomato chutney was a bit much so I scooped half of it off. I want the flavor, but not anything to overwhelm my burger. The goat cheese was perfect. The burger was well-cooked, however, when I would get to the untopped ends, it was oversalted. I have an issue with things being overly salty because I don't add much salt to my own cooking or prepared foods and I am sensitive to it. Maybe I should have left the rest of the chutney on it to counter the saltiness. But my companion said his burger was salty as well and it wasn't just the chorizo in his firehouse selection.

Atmosphere and service was casual and comfortable and I could see myself coming here again before or after my North/Clybourn shopping trips. There are a couple more burgers on this menu I'd like to try, as well as the mac n cheese and shakes!

1/3/2015

We ended up at the Burger Bar quite by accident.  We had to do an errand and pick up a bunch of Apple products for my company and we needed to have lunch.  Yelp said Burger Bar was close by, so we came here.

Sat at a table in the bar area as the rest of the restaurant looked full. We were impressed with the selection of beers and were curious about their pretzels, so we ordered one.  Let's start with the good:  The pretzel...was just like we would have found in Germany.  Turns out one of the co-owners who was working that day and sat us - had family ties to Germany and knew a thing or two about making authentic pretzels.  It was the large pretzels just like you would get during Oktoberfest in Munchen.  

We both had different burgers - french dip burger and the shortay burger.....and really had a hard time finishing all of it - due to the pretzel we'd shared.  I had the sweet potato tater tots.  They were pretty darn good and it was all I could do to not keep eating them - even after I was too full!

The bad:  The traffic getting there, the lack of free parking, and prices.  The burger is gourmet for sure, but its also a hefty price for that burger.  And for lunch I hadn't planned on eating that much or paying that much. Still, I'd do it again, though maybe a lot earlier in the day so that we can deal with traffic....and not feel bloated for the rest of the day....

Now.. the co-owner had mentioned he was looking to set up in DC.... hope to see you soon in our neck of the woods!!!

11/16/2014

"Mmm, hmm. That IS a tasty burger... I DO like the taste of a good burger."

Perfectly-cooked, grass-fed burger. A buck fifty for the cheese is a little steep, but the brie and grilled onions hit the spot. Great whiskey selection. I could have done with fewer TVs, but I guess that's football season in Chicago. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but our server looked like she was separated at birth from Morticia on The Addams Family. Very attentive and competent, though.

Oh, and the fries? The fries! Hand cut often means greasy and soggy (I'm looking at you, Al's #1 Beef!). Here, they are perfectly crisp on the outside, hot & moist on the inside. I stole one of my friend's truffle oil fries, and those were worth the extra buck.

One little fault in the men's room: there was a very small puddle of water between the sink and the urinal. I don't know about you, but the guessing game about where it originated is not one I want to play in a restaurant. Otherwise clean; so I'm going to ignore it & assume that the plumber was on the way.

3/14/2015

Took a trip here for a senior dinner with the guys in my fraternity. Overall it was a good experience. We made a reservation and were able to get in a few minutes early.

The waiter was very helpful and friendly and didn't mess up any of our orders which is really impressive for a group of our size. The food came out within a reasonable timeframe which was also good.

The menu has a lot of different specialty burgers or you can build your own. They also have a nice selection of appetizers. A few guys also ordered their shakes and liked them as well.

The alcohol selection was good, and they have some specials on that.

One slight con is that the place is a bit pricey($15-$20 burgers), but I would say it is a decent value despite the price. The burgers are a good size. I would go back again.

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  Build your own burger with fried egg.

  Build your own burger with fried egg.

12/19/2014

Good sports bar vibe. We got seated immediately on a weeknight, always a plus in my book. Service was friendly and efficient. Beer list looks decent. I made the mistake of getting one of their signature burgers - the lamb burger with lamb sausage. It was huge and flavors were way too complicated. The sweet potato fries were excellent. Next time I'll BYO burger with a beer to wash it down.

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  Fa-gedda-bod-it burger

  Fa-gedda-bod-it burger
• 

  Lamb burger

  Lamb burger

5/20/2015

Stopped in on Wednesday as it opened. Ordered wild bill burger (bison with arugula and goat cheese with tomato chutney) with a side of the truffle fries. Solid burger, goat cheese was a little over powering, but tasty none the less. Truffle fries were worth the $1.00 up charge, melt in your mouth delicious. Good selection of beers and decent drink specials.  Overall a solid burger joint if you are in the area and itching for a burger.

• 

  Wild bill

  Wild bill

4/1/2014

Quite possibly the best thing about Burger Bar: They have a photo booth inside!
Quite possible the saddest thing about Burger Bar: They charge $3 for the photos. I'm spoiled by events in which the booths are free so I take it for granted.

I met a friend for dinner here before going out to a show. I arrived first so hung out at the bar for awhile solo and had some brews. They had Evil Twin's Hipster Ale! Not only was the can awesome but it was quickly put into my top ten list of favorite beers. I'm actually planning on picking some up from Binny's next weekend, so thanks for introducing me to that, Burger Bar. The bartender who took care of me was nice & attentive, no issues at all while hanging at the bar. They have a great beer list + daily specials.

When we moved to a table, our waitress was uber nice. I had a really hard time deciding what to order but in the end went with the Belly Burger for $15. I thought the burger would be just pork belly, but it actually was a normal burger with cider-braised pork belly on top, plus apple slaw and roasted garlic aioli. Needless to say, that baby was so thick, I had issues getting it between my lips. I liked it but didn't love it finding the pork belly didn't have the same mouthwatering flavor I'm used to.

i got their mac & cheese to go so that I could try some for dinner the following night. All of the mac & cheeses are $6 and the portions are huge. They have 6 types of mac & cheese, all of which sounded really good. I went with the crispy prosciutto because...uh....prosciutto is amazing! This dish did not disappoint at all and I think I actually preferred it over my burger. I'd love to try more of the mac & cheese options on my next visit. Really I wish I lived in the area so I could order a mac & cheese and beer and just have a lovely dinner at the bar.

I wouldn't hesitate to go back but will probably give a different burger next time because the pork belly didn't blow me away. So many that sound so good, I know it won't be trouble picking one out!

• 

  Ale is Well! Cute Cup~

  Ale is Well! Cute Cup~
• 

  Pork Belly Burger & Fries $15

  Pork Belly Burger & Fries $15
• 

  Evil Twin Brewing Hipster Ale - Yumm

  Evil Twin Brewing Hipster Ale - Yumm

7/13/2015

Food is very good and the Mac and cheese is incredible...I got a burger and it was very good they have grass fed and Angus burgers. They have a full bar and the bloody Marys were ok...the sevice could have been better.

10/1/2014

Dropped in for my first full-meal visit (had the shakes before) thanks to a recent Groupon offer, $30 for two burgers and two shakes.  Given the normal menu prices, I thought it would be a good time to drop in.

Whoa.  I very rarely give five-star ratings on my first try, so I want to come back one more time just to make sure what happened really did happen, but we tried the Hot & Smokey and the Big Shoulder Blues...both burgers were sensational.  Although I fought too much with the skin on my hot link on the Hot & Smokey, there was a hot link SANDWICHED IN-BETWEEN PULLED PORK AND A CHEESEBURGER.  Yes, this was the only meal I had yesterday.  Fries were good, but my wife reported that the sweet potato fries were a disappointment.  Also disappointing--the root beer float we ordered was essentially served frozen, so you couldn't actually drink it without pouring more root beer onto the float.  (Root beer bottle was not granted with the original order, FYI...yes, I'm a shake snob.)  The second shake we got, a plain chocolate shake, was very well spun and thick, just the way daddy likes it.

I will go back to make sure these burgers are as good as I think they are...a very happy surprise that this was so good.  I know, 600+ Yelpers can't be wrong, but with burgers, I have trust issues.

9/15/2014 Updated review

Meh, is all I can muster for you these days. You used to be a recommended joint, not so much any more.

It has been a little over a year since my last visit and you have gone downhill. Mushy Tot's, adequate burger, okay selection of items... you have gone corporate and no longer seem to be edgy. Maybe you never were and I have experienced a better burger elsewhere.

If it were not for the bar I might even dare to say Epic is out performing you on taste in that hood.  

Over Priced and Under Delivered.

6/7/2015

Ordered through grubhub. Estimated delivery was about an hour and 20mins. Waited an hour and 40 before calling grubhub cause my food still hadn't arrived. Grubhub calls the restaurant and they say the driver will be there in 15-20 mins. Wait another 20 mins still no food. Call grubhub again who calls the restaurant again and then they say they have no recollection of my order. Grubhub updated order in works, you said it would arrive and then no recollection. Really? Got my money refunded but would never order here again.

10/21/2014

A group of us were in the mood for burgers on a Saturday afternoon and gave Burger Bar a try because of the 4 Star rating. We are huge burger aficionados....well, to keep it real, snobs. haha. Anyway, if there was anything that was 4-5 stars about the place, I'd say it was the service. Our party of 10 was greeted and accomodated quite quickly, and the great service continued throughout the meal, thanks to Nick.

The food was ok. Not by any means as good as Bad Apple or Kuma's, but definitely respectable burgers...just not exceptional. One guy in our party who created his own burger, said it was the best burger he'd had. Really?? Well, good for him. The rest of us didn't share that experience. I had the Fuego, which was good, but not at all spicy. Just lacked flavor overall IMO.

We got the bbq pork mac and cheese. It was ok. I am quite a mac and cheese snob though, so it's got to be AMAZING for me to rave over it. Sorry, I just grew up on really fantastic mac and cheese, so I tend to judge it harshly. My bad. The one thing that was delicious was the sweet potato tots. I don't even really like sweet potatoes, but let me tell you, those things were boss! They tasted super fresh and home made.

I'd definitely be willing to give the place another try, but there are a ton of other great burgeries in Chicago to try first!

8/4/2014

This place is great.
i've been for dinner and brunch in the past month or so.
I really enjoyed the variety of burgers and options and ability to create your own burger.
They have deals each day of the week and I think I was there on a wednesday and got wings for $5.
the burgers are really good and have 3-4 great toppings and they even have gluten free sandwich buns which is great. They are $1.50 extra tho.

They have shakes which you can make alcoholic if you're in the mood for that.

10/2/2014

We came here over the weekend. Weather was beautiful so we ate outside. We ordered the sriracha wings (tasty, preferred the creamy sauce over the other sweet chili sauce), lamb burger and the hot and smokey burger (I was pretty full by the time I finished the wings, but I managed to eat 1/4 of the burger. Great snap to the andouille sausage. Perfectly medium rare like I asked. Nice flavor).

Overall, I enjoyed my meal. The burgers were huge which makes up for the price. If I could do half points, this would be a 3.5 It's a solid place.

6/28/2015

My burger was great with the exception of the brisket on the burger it was nothing but fat, yuck!

6/9/2015

We went in late. Not too late, but they made us feel unwelcome. They got the other order completely wrong, my shrimp burger was undercooked... I guess they weren't concerned with food poisoning. Very disappointed. The only reason I gave them 2 stars were because the shakes.

7/25/2015

Nothing special about this place.meat is good but the rest including the bun looked old and dry.i dont think ill come here again

4/6/2015

A good burger place should make you want to go home after and do nothing for the rest of the night...that's what I'm doing now. My roommate was hungry for a burger and suggested this place. I've seen it a few times but had places to be then so I've never been able to come in. Now I'm kicking myself for not coming sooner. They have a good beer selection so I was happy from the start.

We split the pulled pork Mac and cheese (really good but not the best I've ever had) and poutine (truly amazing, I'll dream about that gravy later). Now for the burgers, we both liked the look of the French dip burger and the big shoulder blues. So we got those and split them. We were happy with both of those well conceived burgers. Afterwards, my friend got the strawberry shortcake milkshake and said that the only problem he had was that he wanted there to be actual bits of shortcake in it. I read another review saying that they felt the whipped cream was low quality but we found out that it's made in house so maybe the other reviewer had it on an off night or maybe they are just too used to store bought stuff.

All in all we had a great time. Joseph, our server, was great and the food and drinks were great. Next time I go I'll be signing up for the mug club there.

7/27/2015

Burger was to salty but other than that decent food.  Someone else had the lamb burger and that was great.

4/3/2015

Pros:

-Big 1/2 pound flavorful burgers (most places are 1/3 lb)
-Sweet potato tots (only place I've seen these)

Cons:

-Low grade whipping cream used to top shakes

Bottom Line:

One of the better burger places in Chicago I've been to, definitely worth checking out. Get the Banana Nutella shake.

5/31/2015

Loved the sweet potato tots. The firehouse burger wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, defiinitely going for the diablo sauce next time.

6/11/2015

Nice wings

Better wings than burger.
Wings are grilled and have ample amount of sauce.

Wing sauce:
Sassy: sweet and savory
Diablo: hot

2/27/2015

The Pro's - the burger.  Usually I make my own.  sometimes they have specials with other meats like shortrib or brisket on a burger - yes, meat on meal.

* parking.  yes, its not free but its totally reasonable for lunch.

* fried pickels.  need I say more.

* reservations - yes, they take reservations for lunch and did a good job of my disorganized group of 15.  we were high maintenance and they did a good job.

* sweet potato fries.

Ok -
* price.  yes, its expensive for what you're getting.  hello Lincoln Park.

actually, that's the only negative.  all in all good, just overpriced for what you're getting.   but I'll be back for another meat on meat burger.  mmmmm....

6/7/2015

The food was ordinary. I had the Big Blue Shoulder which was over spiced & not so good. My wife built her own burger & again was below expectations. I would rather go to 5 Guys or any other burger place for a good burger at a reasonable price. We ordered a grill cheese for my son. It was okay but the cheese wasn't totally melted but was again ordinary. The truffle fries didn't tasted that fresh & could have used a little more seasoning. The only thing from the meal that was exceptional was the triple chocolate milk shake. It was delicious. The atmosphere was decent at best but the music was too loud & they were televising a horse race instead of game 3 of the Blackhawks game. Go somewhere else for a good burger, this is not the place!

On another note, my infant son his favorite pacifier & went back in to see if it's returned & the waitstaff said they're ask around. All they did was help others & left me looking around for it. It takes two seconds for good customer service. I won't be back.

7/24/2014

Burger solace exists in more than one neighborhood of Chicago. In SoNo, you can find it at Burger Bar.

Burger Bar has a great location, just around the corner from the North & Clybourn Redline stop. That makes for easy access. They have an outdoor patio, which is great for unseasonably cool summer days like today. They also have a great inside, complete with a bar that seats maybe 15 or 20, lots of beer on tap and in bottles, and a large selection of burgers--meat types, toppings, sauces, cheeses, and so on.

It was Thursday, so I got the Powerhouse special. Yes, that is their Veggie Burger, but I felt like being healthy..ish. It also comes with a free side, and I was in the mood for sweet potato fries. (You also can get Sweet Tots for a few extra dollars.) I also got a Bell's Oberon to go with because I'm from MI, damnit, and I love my state. The cute bartender, Brooke, said she recently moved from MI, too, and she appreciated my out-of-state license. So there.

Anywho, the burger was terrific. The veggie patty itself was actually a little bland, although very crispy, but the sauce (I think a chipotle mayo), super green arugula and avocado, and bright goat cheese all went together wonderfully and produced a superb veggie burger, maybe the best I've had in Chicago. The sweet potato fries I think are the best I've had in Chicago, maybe anywhere. They had a perfect amount of crunch, just a little salt, and lots of sweet potato flavor. I imagine the beef, bison, turkey, elk, etc. burgers are just as good, and maybe I'll swing in for one of them before I leave town in a month.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and what better way to enjoy it than with a crisp beer, supremely tasty burger, and couldn't-be-better sweet potato fries. Burger Bar is a winner. Is it better than, say, DMK? I can't say, at least not yet. Let me try the bison burger, and I'll get back to you.

3/28/2015

I love how even if your budget doesn't allow you to get a burger, you can still get a good meal. The peppered bacon Mac and cheese is a great value and filling.

• 

  Very interesting glasses

  Very interesting glasses
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  Peppered bacon Mac and cheese

  Peppered bacon Mac and cheese
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  Very decorative bathrooms

  Very decorative bathrooms

12/16/2014

Top 10 most amazing thing I've tasted!! Fried Pickles at the Burger Bar!  Holy Cow! I don't make it a habit to order a second order of anything but we actually ordered 3 of these bad boys between the 2 of us!  Yes the Burgers are pretty awesome yes but the Fried Pickles App is well it's something  I actually think about often. Go try it!

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  Fried Pickles at Burger Bar Chicago

  Fried Pickles at Burger Bar Chicago

6/7/2015

I went with a friend yesterday and I ordered the "FA-GETTA-BOD-IT" burger with sweet potato tots. My friend got the same burger but with truffle fries. We also got an order of the chorizo mac and cheese. I thought the burger was pretty good and the portion was quite big, I couldn't finish it. I think the best part was the tots and the fries. The mac and cheese was okay, nothing special and there was barely any chorizo in it. Our server was friendly and attentive. I will definitely come back again to try other items on the menu.

6/29/2014

Burger Bar Chicago has been my mainstay go to place for a good burger, sides, and ample list of craft beers. They have plenty of different kinds of burgers that should fit anyone's taste including vegetarians. All ingredients are made from locally sourced farms. You should find a wall of their currently sourced ingredients as well as their special of the month. One month they had a Chorizo Burger that was amazing! To date I've had their Fa-Getta-Bod-It Burger (prosciutto, fried egg, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil mayo), Wild Bill Burger (grass fed bison, arugula, goat cheese, tomato chutney, pretzel roll), Pork Bahn Mi Burger (pork, soy ginger glazed pork belly, pate, daikon radish slaw, pickled ginger), and Big Shoulder Blues Burger (peppercorn burger, blue cheese, sweet onion bacon jam, port wine glaze). All amazing and I have yet to dis-like one! If you choose, you could build your own burger with your creative mind. Their sides like the normal mainstays Fresh Cut Fries and Sweet Potato Fries has been okay. What make the Fresh Cut Fries better is upgrading them to Truffle Fries as well as the Sweet Potato Fries to Sweet Potato Tots (honestly the best)! Throw down with a starter like Fried Pickles served with chipotle aioli. Trust me - you won't stop eating them until you realize they are gone. They do have some epic milkshakes plus you can upgrade them to adult milkshakes with a shot of booze! There is a Mac and Cheese and Chicken Wing list of items I have yet to try but I have been told they are pretty amazing as well. The rustic feel of the place feels like you are walking into a metal shop that serves food. The high wooden booths feels out of place but you can still see TV's to watch the latest Chicago sports game. There is a bar with TV's posted along with a huge list of their beers on the wall if you decide you do not want to look at a list at your table. Service has been decent though there were a few times I asked for the bill but it never came until I ran to find the person I spoke to. Overall I still come here and bring friends here all the time. You should too! The cost for the burgers are somewhat high for gourmet burgers but you are paying for the quality of the ingredients. I am not sure if I would bring dates here though. It does get somewhat loud on some nights. Though you sure will eat well though!

Food - 4
Décor - 4
Service - 4

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  Carmel Corn Milk Shakes

  Carmel Corn Milk Shakes

1/25/2015

Burger Bar gets points for having some less traditional, more interesting kinds of burgers. Some are made with game like Bison while others have toppings I've never seen on a burger before (I got one with a big crab cake on top). Good, but not excellent when considering the price (we are talking ~$15 for a specialty burger).

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  Surf and Turf special of the day. Large crab cake on top.

  Surf and Turf special of the day. Large crab cake on top.

2/27/2015

Delicious, albeit pricey.

We ordered and split the fugget about it burger with sweet potato fries, pepper bacon mac and cheese, malt ball milkshake with sailor jerry's in it.

Burger: delicious. Cooked a little rare but I like it that way. I think it was $15, which is a little more than I'd like to pay for a burger.

Sweet potato fries: AMAZING. Get these. Even if you're only allowed to order one thing - make these it. They were so gosh darn good!!

Bacon Mac and cheese: a surprising letdown. They were just 'blah' and I didn't even finish it.

Malt ball milkshake with sailor jerrys: also highly recommend this. The milkshake was awesome - thick and creamy. Our server gave us some good mixing ideas and this was a fantastic recommendations.

Would I go back? Maybe On a night I was expecting to spend some money.

We split the burger and mac, each got drinks, had an app. Paid $60, which was more than I was expecting.

12/10/2014

Came here for lunch with my coworkers. We didn't hold back. We indulged in three different burgers, sweet potato fries and a medley of dips for those fries. Delicious and thoroughly filling. I want to come back here, get a beer and have the option to pass out afterwards. Yum!

5/9/2015

The Turkey BLT burger....yummoooo!!! Such an awesome combo of flavors, bacon,  cranberry. .mmmmmm. and then the sweet potatoes tots were a heavenly sweet and salty treat!  My husband tried the grass fed burger and said it was a little dry. Next time he'll try the Angus for sure. Oh and must try the truffle fries.

5/21/2015

The burgers and fries at Burger Bar Chicago are really good. They're both among the best in Chicago.

7/9/2015 Updated review

Still kicking butt up there! Great blue cheese bacon burger with sweet potato tots. Cooked as asked - medium, which I always appreciate.  Bartenders are always awesome here. Taps are well thought out and varied. North Coast Old Rasputin on Nitro right now, they have had Alpha King in bottles every time I have stopped by, nuff said. Great specials, can't wait to go back.

5/7/2015

Great burger place! It has phenomenal and creative selection of burgers. They also have a great selection of beer... Looking forward to going back and using their outdoor seating area. Oh BTW $4 beer Wednesday's!!

5/26/2015

I want to make this clear, I am not a yelper, haven't ever even wanted to do this so for me to go out of my way to do this is big. My girlfriend and I eat here ALL the time. LOVED it. They have amazing burgers and beer and the milkshakes are great, but after tonight I will never go back. You know when you go to a restaurant you always just hope that they are sanitary and follow the basic steps of not touching their sweaty face, picking your nose, holding their phone and itching their mouth? Tonight I had the pleasure of being placed right by the kitchen with the swinging door and saw all of this from their Chef. Handling all of the meat, burger by burger wiping his face and on his phone after handling raw meat and wiping it on this apron. I informed the server and manager and still got charged full price. Never coming back.

4/3/2015

I've been here twice now- the first time I remember the bill being high but the quality of service and food being great! They only sell burgers - that is their niche. And these are "fancy" $15 burgers that are made from grass fed beef. And they are tasty!  The second time I went- great service but the burger was way overdone. I wouldn't really call them out on this except that this is their thing! Their only thing. So I was pretty bummed when my fancy burger that was supposed to be medium pink was well done.

2/7/2015

Came in on a cold wednesday night so i got seated right away. Great selection of beer and drinks. I had the firehouse burger which had chorizo, chipotle mayo, jalapeños and other things. Very delicious! i asked to sub the pepper jack cheese for blue cheese crumbles, and the waitress asked me why i would do that. My response was because I'm eating it, not you. (smartass)

we also ordered mac and cheese and it had pulled pork and bacon inside, very tasty as well.

i recommend checking this place out if you're craving a burger and beer!

5/22/2015

OMG! A-Ma-zing! I had a burger with rib, caramelized onion, and aioli sauce. It's delicious. No need to say more. Definitely I will go again.

3/22/2015

I love this place.  I've been to Burger Bar several times now and I'm never disappointed.  The burgers are a bit pricey, but worth it. The truffle fries are also delicious and they have a pretty good beer selection.

4/26/2015

It'a a nice neighborhood location with a great selection of beer. The bar cheese burger with sweet potato fries was awesome. My girlfriend inhaled the banana nutella shake.

3/19/2014

If you like big, sloppy, juicy burgers; Mac & Cheese and crazy good milkshakes you'll LOVE Burger Bar. I've been to Burger Bar 3 times and I've always left with a filled tummy and a smile on my face.

Mac & Cheese
The Mac Bar consist of different mac & cheeses creations mixed with different meats (bacon, chorizo, pulled pork, brisket, etc). I've had the pulled pork & brisket mac & cheese. They both were delicious, but that brisket mac & cheese is in my dreams sometimes.

Burgers
They have burgers topped with different kinds of meat, and non-beef burgers for those who would rather wear a cow than eat it. With your burger you have the option of fries,  sweet potato fries, homemade chips or salad. You can also try the truffle fries for an extra $1 or sweet potato tots for $2. I highly recommend you break open that piggy bank and try the sweet potato tots! My favorite burgers:

1) High Hog which consist of a BBQ pork burger, bacon, ham, white cheddar & apple cabbage slaw. This burger is a pork lover's dream. You'lI swear you're eating all of the Three Little Pigs when you chowing down on this burger.

2) Elk Burger which consist of  Andouille Sausage, charred pepper-onion relish, chili aioli and smoked gouda. This was oh so good with the smoked gouda and it wasn't spicy like I thought it would be...which was a good thing.

3) Hot & Smokey which consist of BBQ beed burger, smoked pulled pork, hot link, tillamook cheddar, smoked habanero BBQ glaze and cucumber-onion slaw. This burger is a mouth full and a half and If you don't like to lick your fingers in public I wouldn't recommend you try this. I thoroughly enjoyed tackling this burger and will definitely get it on my next visit.

Milkshakes
I've had the Banana Nutella shake each time I've been to Burger Bar and all I can say is try it, Try It, TRY IT! If you want a kick to any of the shakes they offer you can add some booze for $3.

12/15/2014

It's no DMK but still pretty good. If want a good burger, some good beer, this is your place. My brother and friend has the seasonal burger which was the Tur-duck-en, and that was not really that good. My burger on the other hand was on point. It had pork belly as well as a burger patty. Def worth a try.

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  Turducken. November selection.

  Turducken. November selection.
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  Hot and smokey

  Hot and smokey

5/7/2015

Disappointing. This place doesn't look like much; it's a bar with a few tables and booths occupying that hazy area of decor between trendy and dive. It's somehow neither.

The food? It's fine, unremarkable...and ridiculously expensive. I got the Fire Burger, and it was ok. If I'm feeling charitable I might even give it a B+. But it didn't seem particularly gourmet, and at $16 I feel ripped off. The fries were fries. I also got a banana Nutella shake...also fine, but the canned whipped cream was a turnoff. Service was adequate.

I feel a better alternative is DMK Burger in Lakeview. It's a similar concept but much better executed. It knows what it is: an upscale burger joint aimed at a younger crowd. The burgers are similarly expensive, but are actually excellent and unique and you get a sense your $15 actually went toward making something special. I like their craft beer list better too.

But Burger Bar? I can't see myself going back.

11/1/2013

Good little craft brew and burger place. A bit a hassle to get to bit worth it.  Try a grass fed burger with a wide variety of fixins (I had avocado, blue cheese, and fried egg). Sweet potato tots where bust though. Soggy. Craft beer selection is good and worth coming for alone.

Place is a bit loud and not good for the kiddos.

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  Grass fed with avocado, blue, and fried egg. Sweet potato tots on the side.

  Grass fed with avocado, blue, and fried egg. Sweet potato tots on the side.
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  Beer

  Beer